2012-13 outlook Lucious Jordan is a guy that I’ve known for some time and is a person that all of our players can emulate and hopefully aspire to be like, because I think he handles himself with great dignity and great class.
2011-12 Record: 12-20 2011-12 CAA Record: 5-13 2011-12 Home Record: 5-9 2011-12 Away Record: 5-9 2011-12 Neutral Record: 2-2 Lettermen Returning: 8 Lettermen Lost: 3
Schedule
2011-12 Starters Returning (3)
A.J. Davis, G, Sr., 6-6, 210, 15.9p/g, 4.7r/g, 1.9a/g Devon Moore, G, Sr., 6-4, 175, 8.8p/g, 3.4r/g, 4.2a/g Andrey Semenov, F, Sr., 6-7, 200, 10.2p/g, 4.8r/g, 1.8a/g
Other 2011-12 Key Returners (6)
*Rayshawn Goins, F, Sr., 6-6, 265, 9.7p/g, 6.8r/g, 0.7a/g Alioune Diouf, G, Sr., 6-5, 220, 3.5p/g, 3.3r/g, 1.0a/g Enoch Hood, F, So., 6-9, 210, 5.4p/g, 3.4r/g, 0.5a/g Arman Marks, G, So., 6-4, 195, 4.6p/g, 2.8r/g, 0.5a/g Christian Pierce, G, Jr., 6-5, 205, 0.4p/g, 0.2r/g, 0.0a/g Gene Swindle, F, Sr., 6-11, 265, 2.9p/g, 2.8r/g, 0.2a/g *Missed 2011-2012 season due to injury, stats from 2010-2011
AJ Davis
highest-rated player coming into the league this year. What has surprised me a little bit is #Trevon Flores, F, Jr., 6-10, 230, 1.6p/g, 2.6r/g, 0.8a/g not that he’s gifted offensively, but that he is Humpty Hitchens, G, Sr., 5-9, 185, 14.9p/g, 2.3r/g, 3.7a/g seemingly a read-made defensive player at $Keynan Pittman, F, Fr., 6-10, 215, Burgaw, N.C./Pender the college level.” Julius Wells, F, Sr., 6-5, 205, 8.6p/g, 5.6r/g, 2.3a/g Curry will be joined in the backcourt by #Left JMU after Fall semester, transferred to Pikeville College fellow New Jersey native Charles Cooke along with Andre Nation of Florida. “Charles is a guy $Redshirted true freshman season at JMU, transferred to East Mississippi Community College who can probably play three positions at the college level and was not far behind Ron in terms of recruiting rankings in New Jersey. As Newcomers (5) far as Andre is concerned, when we recruited Taylor Bessick, F, Fr., 6-9, 230, Philadelphia, Pa./Rise Academy him I thought he had the most upside of Dimitrije Cabarkapa, F, Fr., 6-10, 245, Novi Sad, Serbia/High anyone we’ve brought into the program. Medical What has surprised me is how ready he is to Charles Cooke, G, Fr., 6-6, 190, Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic compete right away. He will be on the court Ron Curry, G, Fr., 6-4, 190, Pennsauken, N.J./Paul VI this year and he will be productive from the very beginning. His improvement has been Andre Nation, G, Fr., 6-5, 200, Plant City, Fla./Faith Baptist noteworthy because of how quickly his skills are catching up to his athletic ability, which is Points Returning Points Lost considerable.” 1,557 (74 percent) 558 (26 percent) The trio of guards were signed by JMU in Rebounds Returning Rebounds Lost November while forwards Dimitrije Cabarkapa 758 (84 percent) 148 (16 percent) (April) and Taylor Bessick (July) joined the fold later. While coaches sometimes don’t Assists Returning Assists Lost know what they’ll get from late signees, Brady 286 (67 percent) 143 (33 percent) believes Bessick has already shown an ability Minutes Returning Minutes Lost to step in immediately. “You know what, he’s 4,918 (76 percent) 1,532 (24 percent) going to play. He has clearly shown an ability Starts Returning Starts Lost to defend and rebound at this level, and I 114 (71 percent) 46 (29 percent) think the upperclassmen already recognize his ability. The thing that is unique to Taylor along with Ron and Andre is a unique ability to play tenure and one of the better ones seen in the CAA. under control and cerebrally. Taylor doesn’t The group nearly represents all five positions on the try to do anything that he can’t do. For younger players, floor and has given the seniors all they could handle in you want them to impact your team in a positive way practice pickup games. As a group, they will provide and not hurt you. Meanwhile, Dimitrije is a guy who much-needed relief for a squad that featured no more offensively can play at this level, no question, and he’s than nine available players during any one game a year going to be a very good player. It’s at the defensive end ago and sometimes as few as six or seven. that he’s got to make the biggest jump.” While the Dukes’ success won’t rely upon the In addition to the infusion of new talent, the Dukes freshmen, Brady certainly expects them to claim are also getting acclimated to new faces within the significant playing time in year one. He said, “I had coaching staff. Brady brought in his former head coach the conversation with each of them that they need as a player at Siena, Mike Deane, while also promoting to be aggressive and make this a very competitive Bill Phillips to an assistant position and adding Lucious environment or everybody on the team. This is a very Jordan as director of operations in the position vacated eager and hungry group of freshmen, and I don’t think by Phillips. they are going to be happy to just wait their turn. These Brady commented, “Mike Deane adds an awful lot, in guys are coming to take minutes from every one of all areas. He has connected really well with our players these older guys, and that’s a great thing. On a really on a personal level and has really good relationships good team, you need to have great competition.” with people. He has some different and unique ideas The class of newcomers begins with guard Ron Curry, that have really helped us. Bill Phillips is a remarkably the South Jersey Player of the Year from Brady’s former hard worker and will have a significant impact on our high school, Paul VI. “My contention is that Ron is the program and already has with our front court players.
Key Losses (4)
2012-13 JMU Basketball - 8
JMU will once again face a competitive schedule, including the typically daunting, albeit different, Colonial Athletic Association slate. Perennial penthouse dweller VCU has departed for the Atlantic 10 while Old Dominion and Georgia State will make their farewell tours in the CAA this year. Those three combined with academic infractions for UNCW and Towson will make the CAA Championship a different experience as a seven-team affair in 2013. While Drexel, Delaware and George Mason have received much preseason attention thanks to returning talent, the league looks to continue to be competitive from top to bottom. The non-conference slate tips off with the Legends Classic and a road game at a UCLA squad that could open the season ranked as high as the top five nationally. One focus point for Brady in laying out the 2012-13 slate was maximizing opportunities to play on a neutral court, which the Dukes have accomplished with games against North Dakota State and Youngstown State at Duquesne in addition to matchups with San Diego and San Jose State in Las Vegas. Fitting between those neutral dates will be an important stretch of five home games against other competitive, mid-major squads. “We feel like this is what you try to do in November and December. You’re trying to build momentum. Along the way, you’re trying to learn about your team and improve. Clearly, the intention here is to get our students excited about a winning basketball team with an exciting style of play. Hopefully if we can do that in November and December, then everyone will return to campus in January and be equally as excited about following our team and supporting us.”
Andrey Semenov